I urge you to reconsider allowing Philip Morris into your index, and to not consider any company in the future that creates products known to take lives.

Your post does not anger us at all, on the contrary we appreciate these views. We had deep and heated discussions at the Trustee meetings about this very thing in regard to Philip Morris. In the end, the positives of the company outweigh the negatives. That's how it is with EVERY company.

I don't disagree with the tenor of your post. There is much about the marketing of tobacco that is objectionable. But tobacco is a legal product, and I dare say that very few people tried smoking against his or her will. It is legal, it is regulated, and customers have recourse for product liabilities through the courts.

Lots of companies put out products that some people enjoy and others abuse. They also put out products that can cause deaths, but that are legal. If we start drawing these lines, we get into an awfully slippery slope. Philip Morris is an obvious choice for an index with the stated goals that the FOOL 50 has from a business perspective. I perfectly respect the decision by people to choose not to invest in it, however, and think that no one should even consider a company to own that does not reflect their values.

Thanks so much for your letter- assuredly this will be a debate that will not disappear.